Efficient processing of non-reflow content in a digital image

ABSTRACT

A computer system and method for efficiently processing a digital image into reflow content is presented. The method comprises each of the following as executed on a computer. A digital image is obtained for processing. The digital image includes at least some content suitable for conversion into reflow content. The digital image is processed into a digital content file. The digital content file includes both reflow content and non-reflow blocks of content. For each non-reflow block of content in the digital content file, the following are performed. A determination is made as to whether the non-reflow block of content should be manually evaluated for editing. A manual evaluation is automatically triggered for editing if it is determined that the non-reflow block of content should be manually evaluated for editing.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention is directed to processing digital images ofcontent and, more particularly, to processing digital images intodigital reflow content including both non-reflow and reflow content.

BACKGROUND

As more and more users turn to computer networks such as the Internetand particularly the World Wide Web (hereinafter the “Web”) forinformation, content providers are increasingly converting traditionalcontent (e.g., printed materials such as books, magazines, newspapers,newsletters, manuals, guides, references, articles, reports, documents,and the like) to electronic form.

For some content providers, a quick and simple way to convert printedcontent to an electronic form for publication is to create a digitalimage of the printed content, i.e., a digital image containingrepresentation of text. As those skilled in the art will appreciate,this type of conversion is typically performed through the use of ascanner. However, while simply generating a digital image (or images) ofprinted content can be accomplished quickly, the resulting digitalimages might not be particularly well suited for various scenarios. Forexample, digital images corresponding to the conversion of pages of abook into electronic form may not be well suited in some viewingscenarios. Of course, the reasons that a digital image is not always anoptimal form/format of delivery are many, but include issues regardingthe clarity or resolution of digital images, the large size of a digitalimage file and, perhaps most importantly, the rendering of the digitalimages on various sized displays. For example, traditional digitalimages may be of a fixed size and arrangement such that a computer usermust frequently scroll his or her viewer to read the text. In otherwords, text in a digital image is not reflowable with regard to theboundaries of the viewer.

Another approach to converting printed content into a digital formrelates to converting the print images into corresponding digital text.Digital text comprises values corresponding to a printable characterset, including alphanumeric characters. Exemplary character sets includethe ASCII, EBCDIC, and Unicode character sets. However, convertingprinted content into digital text requires greater effort on the part ofthe content provider than simply generating a digital image. Moreparticularly, the content provider must first generate (at leasttemporarily) a digital image of the content and then convert the text inthe digital image into digital text using optical character recognition(OCR) software. As those skilled in the art will appreciate, OCRsoftware scans a digital image and, in so doing, identifies digitalcharacters from the pixels in the digital image. Unfortunately, OCRsoftware can and often does make mistakes when matching collections ofpixels to corresponding characters.

One approach to converting printed content into reflowable digitalcontent rclates to processing content in a digital image intoidentifiable segments. An example of such an approach is set forth inco-pending and commonly assigned U.S. Patent Application Publication No.2007/0237401 A1, entitled “Method and System for Converting a DigitalImage Containing Text to a Token-Based File for High-ResolutionRendering,” filed Mar. 28, 2006, which is incorporated herein byreference. As described therein, the content in a digital image isbroken up into “glyphs,” e.g., identifiable segments of content. Inturn, thc glyphs can be scaled and/or reflowed within the boundaries ofa viewer. Generally described, “reflow” relates to the adjustment ofline segmentation and arrangement for a set of segments. Digital contentthat can be rearranged according to the constraints of a particularviewer and without scaling can “reflow” within the viewer, and is reflowcontent.

With any automated conversion process the accuracy and presentation ofthe digital content is important. This is especially true for contentproviders who intend to offer their converted printed content for money.Unfortunately, nearly all printed content includes regions or blocks inthe content which, if included in the reflow body of content or modifiedfrom a particular spatial arrangement, could corrupt the convertedreflow content or otherwise degrade the visual presentation of theconverted content. Examples of these types of “non-reflow”regions/blocks include, but are not limited to, headers, footers,sidebars, graphs, graphics, mathematical equations, tables, programlistings, bulleted or numbered lists, poetry, and, in general, regionsin which the spatial arrangement of the content (textual or otherwise)is important to that content.

In regard to “non-reflow” blocks of content, it should be understoodthat this term is used generically in regard to blocks of content that,for one reason or another, should not be “reflowed,” irrespective of thereason that the block of content should not be reflowed. Moreparticularly, the term “non-reflow blocks of content” include bothout-of flow blocks of content (where the content is related to but fallsoutside of the regular flow of content, including sidebars, headers, andfooters) and spatial-dependent non-reflow blocks of content (where thespatial arrangement of the content precludes it from being reflowed)such as scientific formulas, lists, tables, and the like.

Quite frequently, non-reflow blocks can include some textual content. Inthese circumstances, the inclusion of the textual content with thereflow body of content can corrupt the integrity of the content. Tofurther illustrate this point, FIG. 1 is a pictorial diagramillustrating a digital image 100 of printed content that includes bothreflow and non-reflow blocks of content. More particularly, digitalimage 100 includes two paragraphs of text, paragraphs 102 and 104, whichgenerally represent the reflow content of the digital image 100.Additionally, digital image 100 includes various non-reflowregions/blocks, including header 106, caption 108, graphic 110,separator line 112, and footnote 114, which is referenced from the textvia footnote number 116.

With regard to content from non-reflow blocks corrupting the integrityof reflow content, the first sentence of paragraph 102, including text(not shown) from the previous page of content, if converted correctly,should read as follows:

-   -   Half the information has been used to pad and rearrange        (modulate) the data in sequences and patterns designed to be        accurately readable as a string of pulses.        However, if the “text” of header 106 were to be erroneously        included into/with the reflow content of paragraph 202, the        above sentence would read:    -   Half the information has been used to pad and rearrange        (modulate) the data in 180 Chapter 4 sequences and patterns        designed to be accurately readable as a string of pulses.        Clearly, adding “180 Chapter 4” to the reflow content corrupts        the converted content and creates a scenario that would merely        confuse a reader. As can be seen from this simple example,        keeping the data of non-reflow blocks (such as header 106) from        corrupting the reflow content is critical to the integrity of        the converted content. More generally, excluding content in        non-reflow blocks from being processed in the conversion of the        general reflow content of a digital image 100 is essential to        the integrity of the resultant digital content.

Unfortunately, creating automated procedures for detecting non-reflowblocks of content, especially when the non-reflow blocks of contentinclude textual content that could be converted as reflow content, hasproven to be elusive. As such, manual editing is currently required toedit/finalize the converted digital content before it can be presentedfor “consumer” use.

Aspects of the present invention are directed at efficiently processingnon-reflow blocks of content in a digital image 100. Other aspects ofthe present invention are further directed at identifying convertedcontent that requires manual editing, thereby focusing and reducing theamount of manual editing to be performed.

SUMMARY

This summary is provided to introduce a selection of concepts in asimplified form that are further described below in the DetailedDescription. This summary is not intended to identify key features ofthe claimed subject matter, nor is it intended to be used as an aid indetermining the scope of the claimed subject matter.

According to aspects of the present invention, a method for efficientlyprocessing a digital image into reflow content is presented. The methodcomprises each of the following as executed on a computer. A digitalimage is obtained for processing. The digital image includes at leastsome content suitable for conversion into reflow content. The digitalimage is processed into a digital content file. The digital content fileincludes both reflow content and non-reflow blocks of content. For eachnon-reflow block of content in the digital content file, the followingare performed. A determination is made as to whether the non-reflowblock of content should be manually evaluated for editing. A manualevaluation is automatically triggered for editing if it is determinedthat the non-reflow block of content should be manually evaluated forediting.

According to additional aspects of the present invention, acomputer-implemented process for efficiently evaluating a digital imageconverted to digital content is presented. The process comprises each ofthe following steps. A digital content file converted from a digitalimage is obtained. The digital content file includes both reflow contentand non-reflow blocks of content. The digital content file is scannedfor non-reflow blocks of content. For each encountered non-reflow blockof content, the following is performed. A determination is made as towhether the encountered non-reflow block of content should be manuallyevaluated for editing. A manual evaluation is automatically triggered ifit is determined that the encountered non-reflow block of content shouldbe manually evaluated for editing.

According to still further aspects of the present invention, a computersystem suitable for efficiently evaluating digital content for possiblemanual editing is presented. The computer system comprises a processorand a memory. The memory includes one or more applications moduleswhich, when executed on the computer system, configure the computersystem to perform the following. A digital content file is obtained. Thedigital content file comprises reflow content processed from a digitalimage and non-reflow content. The digital content file is scanned fornon-reflow content. For each non-reflow block of content found in thedigital image, the following are performed. A determination is made asto whether the non-reflow block of content should be manually edited.One or more application modules are invoked to initiate a manual editingsession if it is determined that the non-reflow block should be manuallyedited.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The foregoing aspects and many of the attendant advantages of thisinvention will become more readily appreciated as the same become betterunderstood by reference to the following detailed description, whentaken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a pictorial diagram illustrating a digital image of a printedpage of content including both reflow and non-reflow blocks of content;

FIG. 2 is a pictorial diagram showing an exemplary computing environmentin which embodiments of the invention may be implemented;

FIG. 3 is a block diagram illustrating logical components of an imageprocessing system for processing a digital image including both reflowand non-reflow blocks of content into a reflow document, in accordancewith aspects of the present invention;

FIG. 4 is a flow diagram illustrating an exemplary routine forprocessing a digital image having both reflow and non-reflow blocks ofcontent; and

FIG. 5 is a flow diagram illustrating an exemplary routine foridentifying non-reflow blocks of content in a digital image;

FIG. 6 is a pictorial diagram illustrating an exemplary page patterncorresponding to a printed page of content;

FIGS. 7A-7C are pictorial diagrams illustrating a digital imageincluding a mathematical formula;

FIG. 8 is a pictorial diagram illustrating a digital image including asidebar;

FIG. 9 is a pictorial diagram illustrating a digital image including achart and caption;

FIG. 10 is a flow diagram illustrating an exemplary routine suitable fordetermining the bounds of a non-reflow block of content; and

FIG. 11 is a flow diagram illustrating an exemplary routine forprocessing a digital image using an automated process and triggeringmanual evaluation and editing when the confidence of the automatedconversion is below a predetermined threshold.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The following detailed description provides exemplary implementations ofthe invention. Although specific system configurations and flow diagramsare illustrated, it should be understood that the examples provided arenot exhaustive and do not limit the invention to the precise formsdisclosed. Persons having ordinary skill in the field of computers,digital imaging, and content conversion, will recognize components andprocess steps described herein that may be interchangeable with othercomponents or steps, or combinations of components or steps, and stillachieve the benefits and advantages of the present invention. Moreover,in the following description, numerous specific details are set forth inorder to provide a thorough understanding of the invention. It will beapparent to one skilled in the art, however, that the invention may bepracticed without some or all of these specific details. In otherinstances, well-known process steps have not been described in detail inorder not to unnecessarily obscure the invention.

It should also be understood that the following description is presentedlargely in terms of logic and operations that may be performed byconventional computer components. These computer components, which maybe grouped in a single location or distributed over a wide area,generally include computer processors, memory storage devices, displaydevices, input devices, etc. In circumstances where the computercomponents are distributed, the computer components are accessible toeach other via communication links.

With regard to digital images, while a typical digital image is araster- or vector-based file, such as JPEG and TIFF files, the presentinvention is not so limited. More particularly, in addition toprocessing raster- and/or vector-based images, the present invention mayconvert other types of digital images, such as PDF images that, inaddition to pixel-based information, may or may not include text and/ortextual formatting information. Accordingly, while the subsequentdiscussion is made in regard to digital images generally, it should beappreciated that it may include many types of digital image content.

Processing digital images that include both reflow capable (“reflowblocks”) and non-reflow capable (“non-reflow blocks”) blocks of contentmay be conducted on a variety of computing devices and configurations.These computing devices include, but are not limited to, laptop ortablet computers, personal computers, workstations, mini- and mainframecomputers, and the like. These computing devices may also includespecially configured computers for processing digital images. However,the general architecture of a suitable computing device is describedbelow in regard to FIG. 2. More particularly, FIG. 2 is a block diagramillustrating exemplary components of a computing device 200 suitable forprocessing a digital image having both reflow and non-reflow blocks ofcontent. However, the following description of the exemplary componentsof a computing device 200 should be viewed as illustrative only and notconstrued as limiting in any manner.

With regard to FIG. 2, the exemplary computing device 200 includes aprocessor 202 in communication with a variety of other components over asystem bus 220. These other components include, by way of example, anetwork interface 204, an input device interface 206, a displayinterface 208, and a memory 210. As appreciated by those skilled in theart, the network interface 204 enables the computing device 200 tocommunicate data, control signals, data requests, and other informationwith other resources including computers, data sources, storage devices,and the like, on a computer network such as the Internet (not shown).The network interface 204 may be configured to communicate via wired orwireless connections. As one skilled in the art will appreciate, thecomputing device 200 may obtain a digital image, such as digital image100 from another computer, a storage device, or other source via thecomputer network, as well as save the processed converted content to anetworked location or send it to another computer on the network.

The input device interface 206, sometimes also embodied as aninput/output interface, enables the computing device 200 to obtain datainput from a variety of devices including, but not limited to, a digitalpen, a touch screen, a keyboard, a mouse, a scanner, and the like. Inaddition to the exemplary components described above, a displayinterface 208 is used for outputting display information to a computeruser. Typically, the display information is output by the displayinterface 208 via a display device (e.g., a CRT monitor, an LCD screen,a television, an integrated screen or sets of screens, etc.). Of course,while not shown, one skilled in the art will appreciate that a displaydevice may be incorporated as an integral element within a computingdevice 200.

The processor 202 is configured to operate in accordance withprogramming instructions stored in a memory 210. The memory 210generally comprises RAM, ROM, and/or other permanent memory. Thus, inaddition to storage in read/write memory (RAM), programming instructionsmay also be embodied in read-only format, such as those found in ROM orother permanent memory. The memory 210 typically stores an operatingsystem 212 for controlling the general operation of the computing device200. The operating system may be a general purpose operating system suchas a Microsoft Windows® operating system, a UNIX® operating system, aLinux® operating system, or an operating system specifically written forand tailored to the computing device 200. Similarly, the memory 210 alsotypically stores user-executable applications 214, or programs, forconducting various functions on the computing device 200. For example,the application 214 in memory 210 may be configured according to aspectsof the present invention to process a digital image 100, including bothreflow and non-reflow blocks, into a document that identifies non-reflowcontent for rendering.

The computing device 200 optionally includes an image store 216 and acontent store 218. The image store 216 stores digital images forprocessing into reflow content. As the image store 216 is optional, thedigital image 100 may be obtained from a scanner connected to the inputdevice interface 206 or from an external source via the networkinterface 204. Once the digital image is processed, the converteddigital content is stored in the content store 218. Similarly, thedocument store may be viewed as optional as the resultant digitalcontent may be immediately sent to a display device via the displayinterface 208, streamed to a user's computer, or to an external locationor resource for storage via the network interface 204.

A digital image processing system suitable for processing a digitalimage into a reflow-capable digital document may be implemented in asingle application or module implemented on a computing device 200, in aplurality of cooperating applications/modules on a single computingdevice, or in a plurality of cooperating applications and/or modulesdistributed in a computer network. However, irrespective of the actualimplementation and/or topography of the digital image processing system,the digital image processing system may be identified with regard tovarious logical components. To that end, FIG. 3 is a block diagramillustrating logical components of a digital image processing system 300for processing a digital image 100, including both reflow and non-reflowblocks of content, into a document. Similarly, FIG. 4 is a flow diagramillustrating an exemplary routine 400 for processing a digital image 100having both reflow and non-reflow blocks of content using the logicalcomponents of FIG. 3.

It should be noted that, however, with regard to the illustrated digitalimage processing system 300 (FIG. 3), the illustrated system 300includes both the image store 216 and the content store 218. However, asdiscussed above, the inclusion of the image store 216 and the contentstore 218 is exemplary/optional, as the digital image processing system300 may obtain a digital image 100 from local storage (e.g., the imagestore 216), a network source, or digital image generating device such asa scanner, a digital camera, and the like. Similarly, the digital imageprocessing system 300 may output the resultant reflow-capable digitalcontent to local storage (e.g., the content store 218), a networksource, or stream it to a user immediately for display/consumption.Thus, while the subsequent description of the digital image processingsystem 300 and routine 400 is made with regard to both the image store216 and the content store 218, it is for simplicity and clarity indescription only and should not be construed as limiting upon thepresent invention.

With regard to the exemplary routine 400 of FIG. 4, and with furtherreference to the digital image processing system 300 of FIG. 3, at block402, the image input component 302 obtains a digital image 100 ofcontent, including both reflow and non-reflow blocks of content. Asshown in FIG. 3, in an illustrative embodiment, the image inputcomponent 302 obtains the digital image 100 from the image store 216.

At block 404, the digital image processing system 300, via thenon-reflow content identification component 304, identifies one or morenon-reflow blocks of content in the digital image 100. An illustrativeroutine for identifying types of non-reflow blocks of content isdescribed in more detail below in regard to FIG. 5. As part of, or inaddition to, identifying non-reflow blocks of content, the identifiednon-reflow blocks of content may be marked or information regarding themis recorded such that they (the non-reflow blocks of content) are notprocessed with the reflow blocks of content. Instead, the non-reflowblocks can be processed separately (including no processing at all.)

At block 406, the digital image processing system 300, via a reflowcontent conversion component 306, processes the reflow blocks of contentin the digital image. Processing reflow blocks of content, in regard toprocessing content into glyphs, is described in the above-incorporatedapplication “Method and System for Converting a Digital Image ContainingText to a Token-Based File for High-Resolution Rendering.”

At block 408, the digital image processing system 300, via a digitalcontent output component 308, outputs the processed digital content,including the processed reflow content and the identified non-reflowblocks of content, into a digital content file that is saved to thecontent store 218. In an illustrative embodiment, the non-reflow blocksof content are copied to the digital content file such that they may bedisplayed by the user at the user's discretion, strategically located inthe document such that they do not corrupt the reflow content, or insome cases, not displayed at all. Headers and footers are examples ofnon-reflow blocks of content that may not be displayed at all.Additionally, certain information regarding the non-reflow blocks ofcontent are typically included when the non-reflow blocks are copied tothe digital content file. This information includes, for example, thebounds of the non-reflow block of content, its location in the digitalimage 100, a confidence rating (as will be discussed below), a typeindicator identifying the type of non-reflow block of content (e.g.,header, footer, caption, graph, etc.), and the like. After storing theresultant digital content file in the content store 218, the exemplaryroutine 400 terminates.

With regard to storing the non-reflow blocks of content into the digitalcontent file, in one embodiment, not all non-reflow blocks of contentare copied to the digital content file. In particular, some non-reflowblocks of content (such as headers and/or footers) are informative only,and do not include essential material as to the reflowable content.Thus, these, and other types of non-reflow blocks may, or may not becopied to the digital content file, and if copied to the digital contentfile, may be suppressed with regard to being subsequently displayed in aviewer.

In regard to storing the resultant digital content, it should beappreciated that the resultant content may be directed to volatile ornon-volatile memory, directed to a local or remote data stream, or, asindicated above, written to a file. Accordingly, while the presentdiscussion is made with regard to a digital content file that may bestored in a content store 218, it is for illustration purposes only, andshould not be construed as limiting upon the present invention.

With regard to the non-reflow blocks of content, the non-reflow blocksof content may include some textual content that could be converted intoreflow content. Indeed, many types of non-reflow blocks of contentinclude textual content that may benefit from conversion to reflowcontent. For example, with regard to FIG. 1, footnote 114 is comprisedentirely of textual content that, when displayed to a user on acomputer, may be benefited by conversion to reflow content. Accordingly,while not shown in FIG. 4, in addition to outputting any identifiednon-reflow blocks of content into the reflow document as static images,content with identified non-reflow blocks of content may be individuallyprocessed into reflow content and the reflow content of the non-reflowblocks of content saved to the resultant digital content file.

With regard to identifying non-reflow blocks of content in a digitalimage, FIG. 5 is a flow diagram illustrating an exemplary routine 500for identifying non-reflow blocks of content in a digital image 100.Beginning at block 502, the exemplary routine begins scanning thedigital image 100 for non-reflow blocks of content, as described below.

At block 504, the non-reflow content component 304 scans the digitalimage 100 for a header and/or footer. As those skilled in the art willreadily appreciate, a large portion of printed content, especially booksand magazines, will contain one or more headers and/or footers. Forexample, with regard to FIG. 1, digital image 100 includes header 106.

In an illustrative embodiment, identifying a header and/or footer in adigital image 100 can rely upon locating patterns characteristic of aheader or footer. FIG. 6 is a pictorial diagram illustrating anexemplary page pattern 600 corresponding to a printed page of content.As is easily recognized as a “typical” page of content, the page pattern600 includes a header area 602, two paragraphs for text, a footer 608,and separator lines 604 and 606. With regard to recognizing headers andfooters in a page pattern in the exemplary routine 500, various criteriaand/or identifying characteristics may be used. For example, thoughheaders and footers may be multi-lined, headers and footers are, bytheir nature, found at the very top and very bottom of pages,respectively, i.e., the first and last items on a printed page. Headersand footers are frequently, but not always, set apart from the main bodyof the page content by a separator line, such as separator lines 604 or610. However, whether or not there is a separator line, headers andfooters are also typically separated from the main body of the pagecontent by white space, as shown by 614, of an amount greater than theline spacing in paragraphs, as shown by 616, or between paragraphs, asshown by 618.

Headers and footers can also include the same or similar content overseveral pages of content, or over alternating pages of content. Forexample, page numbering, while frequently increasing with each page,will have some content remain constant (such as the tens or hundredsvalues) over several pages and appear at the same location, or atalternating locations, on the pages or alternating pages. Findingrepeating lines (over several or alternative pages) with a sequence ofnumbers, numerals, or letters (either increasing or decreasing), isfrequently viewed as indicative of page numbering, and may be used toidentify a line or lines of text in a header or footer. Titles, chapternames, section names, and the like are also examples of the similar textthat appears in headers and footers.

With regard to page numbering, those skilled in the art will appreciatethat in some contexts, page numbers actually decrease, rather thanincrease. For example, in some books, the preface and/or forewordportions of the book are arranged in descending order up to the book's“first” page. Additionally, increasing and decreasing values may bedisplayed in roman numerals, alphanumeric, or numeric values. Moreover,when page numbering is encountered, the confidence rating that theparticular block of content is a header or footer may beelevated/increased.

Headers and footers can also incorporate alignment features that are notfound in typical paragraphs. For example, header 602 includes two parts,610 and 612. Part 610 is left aligned with the left-most margin on thepage 600, whereas part 612 is right aligned with the right-most marginon the page 600. This particular alignment for a header is also shown inheader 106 of FIG. 1. This type of alignment, as well as others (such asa centered title with page numbering on an outside margin), illustratesthat headers and/or footers are frequently identifiable by substantialgaps of white space between text in a header and/or footer. Alsoillustrated in FIG. 1, though not shown in FIG. 6, headers and/orfooters may not be aligned with the margins of the general body ofcontent. More particularly, header 106 is farther to the left of thedigital image 100 than paragraphs 102 and 104, which represent thegeneral body of content for this image.

Another “pattern” that may be used with regard to recognizing headersand/or footers is by analyzing the number of characters that is found onthe lines of content with regard to the mean number of characters perline over several pages of text. Headers and, especially, footersfrequently include substantially fewer characters in their lines thanthe average line of text.

By analyzing one or more combinations of the above-described criteria,as well as other criteria that distinguish headers and footers fromother portions of page content, the non-reflow content component 304identifies headers and/or footers in a digital image 100. Moreover, ingeneral, each non-reflow block of content may be identifiable via one ormore aspects. Accordingly, in identifying each type of non-reflow block,the identification may be based on one or more of a plurality ofidentifying characteristics/aspects.

Returning again to FIG. 5, if the non-reflow content component 304identifies a header and/or footer in the digital image 100, the routineproceeds to block 506. At block 506, the non-reflow content component304 marks the identified image area as a non-reflow block of contentsuch that the reflow content conversion component 306 can bypass thisnon-reflow block during the conversion of the reflow content.

With regard to “marking” the non-reflow block of content, it is notnecessary and the present usage of the term “mark” should notnecessarily be literally construed as modifying the digital image 100with marking information. Instead, “marking” should be interpreted assaving, at least temporarily, information that specifies the boundariesof the identified non-reflow block, including both the dimensions of theidentified non-reflow block as well as its location in the particulardigital image 100. Thus, marking information may be placed in a datastructure, or series of data structures, that identifies a non-reflowblock of content. This “marking” information is made available to thereflow content conversion component 306 such that identified non-reflowblocks of content may be excluded from processing the general body ofthe content. According to embodiments of the present invention, thismarking information as well as other information, such as confidenceinformation (that will be discussed below) and non-reflow block type, istypically also copied with the non-reflow block of content into areflowable digital content file.

If a header or footer was not identified in the digital image 100, orafter marking the identified header and/or footer for exclusion inprocessing the reflow content, the routine 500 proceeds to block 508. Atblock 508, the non-reflow content component 304 scans the digital imagefor pictures and/or associated captions, such as picture 110 and caption108 in FIG. 1. As above, if a picture and/or caption is identified, atblock 506 the non-reflow content component 304 marks the identifiedblock or blocks as non-reflow and subsequently continues in identifyingand marking additional non-reflow blocks of content.

With regard to identifying pictures and associated captions in a digitalimage, those skilled in the art will appreciate that there are existingtechniques for identifying pictures/graphics within a digital image 100,any one of which may be employed in identifying a picture. While graphic110 (FIG. 1) is shown without an encompassing border, graphicsfrequently reside within an encompassing border or frame.

Captions, such as caption 108 of FIG. 1, include some textual contentthat describes a picture and is placed in proximate location to thecorresponding picture. Captions can be identified as they are usuallyseparated by white space from the regular body of reflow content, suchas caption 110 falling outside of the alignment of paragraphs 102 and104. Moreover, captions are typically located in close proximity to, on,or within the boundaries of the corresponding picture.

With regard to captions, while the present discussion is made solelywith regard to pictures in a digital image 100, it is for illustrationand clarity purposes only. Captions are frequently associated with othertypes of non-reflow content, including tables, graphs, charts,mathematical and/or scientific formulas, program listings, lists, etc.Accordingly, while captions are only described herein with regard topictures, the present invention should not be construed as limiting theidentification of captions solely with corresponding pictures.

Returning again to FIG. 5, at block 510, the non-reflow contentcomponent 304 scans the digital image 100 for footnotes, such asfootnote 114 in FIG. 1. If a footnote is found, at block 506 thenon-reflow content component 304 marks the identified footnote as anon-reflow block and continues identifying and processing additionalnon-reflow blocks of content.

There are various characteristics that can be used to identify afootnote in a digital image 100. Footnotes are located at or near thebottom of a page; lower than other text except, perhaps, footers.Frequently, but not always, footnotes are separated from the main bodyof the content by a separator line. Additionally, footnotes aretypically commenced with a footnote number and, moreover, the footnotenumber is frequently displayed as a superscript to the body of thefootnote. Still further, footnotes, as with headers and/or footers, arealso typically separated by white space greater than is typically foundin the general body of content. Many of these indicia are found withregard to footnote 114. For example, digital image 100 includes afootnote 114 that is commenced with the footnote number “4” insuperscript; footnote 114 is separated from other content in the imagevia separator line 112; and footnote 114 is separated from the main bodyof content with a substantial amount of white space.

At block 512, the non-reflow content component 304 scans the digitalimage 100 for bulleted and/or numbered lists. If a bulleted and/ornumbered list is found, at block 506 the non-reflow content component304 marks the identified list as a non-reflow block of content andreturns to continue identifying and processing other non-reflow blocksof content.

Bulleted or numbered lists are considered non-reflow blocks of contentin order to preserve the separation between list items. This, of course,does not mean that the textual content in the individual elements couldnot be reflowable (such as indicated above with regard to processing thecontent of non-reflow blocks), but simply that the itemization of thelist elements should be maintained. Bulleted lists are typicallyindented from the left (and sometimes right) margin of the main body ofcontent. After indentation, a bulleted list item will include an initialsymbol or “bullet”, such as “●,” “▪,” or “♦.” Following the bullet ismore indentation to the text of the list item. The following elementsillustrate a bulleted list:

-   -   This bulleted list item is indented from the left margin of the        main content.    -   This bulleted list item begins with the common symbol indicative        of a bulleted list item such as “●.”    -   This bulleted list item is aligned with other list items.

Numbered lists share many of the characteristics of a bulleted list,including indentation and alignment. However, rather than initialsymbols, numbered lists begin with incrementing numbers (or letters).The following illustrates an exemplary numbered list:

-   -   1. This numbered item is indented from the left margin of the        main content.    -   2. This numbered item is aligned with other numbered items.    -   3. This and other numbered items illustrate the incrementing        leading numbers.

At block 514, the non-reflow content component 304 scans the digitalimage 100 for poetry. If poetry is found, at block 506 the non-reflowcontent component 304 marks the identified area as a non-reflow block ofcontent and returns to continue identifying and processing othernon-reflow blocks of content.

Poetry, perhaps more than bulleted or numbered lists, relies upon thearrangement of the text to convey the intent of the author. Thus, anyreflowing, especially with regard to the general body of content, couldpotentially destroy the meaning and/or meter of the prose. Poetry isprobably most characterized by short lines of text grouped together. Thetext may be indented similarly, though in some cases it is not.

At block 516, the non-reflow content component 304 scans the digitalimage 100 for program listings. If a program listing is found, at block506 the non-reflow content component 304 marks the identified area as anon-reflow block and returns to continue identifying and processingadditional non-reflow content.

Program listings are typically characterized by a series of statements(discrete logical instructions of a program or routine). Frequently, astatement is found on a single line, though this is not necessary.Similarly, statements may be very long with regard to the typical widthof a page. Statements in program listings usually include various levelsof indentation to illustrate process control, hierarchy, and/or nestingof statements. In printed content, program listings are typically foundin a different typeface than the main body of content.

Program listings also frequently include and are, therefore,recognizable by reserved keywords and symbols. While those familiar withprogram listings will appreciate that keywords and symbols vary somewhatbetween programming languages, exemplary keywords that are frequentlyfound in program listings include, but are not limited to: “for,” “if,”“then,” “while,” “goto,” “return,” etc. Similarly, exemplary symbols ofprogram listings include, but are not limited to: “{ } [ ] ( ) % + − */< > =”. Some of these symbols, particularly “{ } [ ] ( )”, are found incorresponding pairs, i.e., the “(“ will pair with ”)” and so on.

At block 518, the non-reflow content component 304 scans the digitalimage 100 for mathematical and/or scientific formulas. If a mathematicaland/or scientific formula is found, at block 506 the non-reflow contentcomponent 304 marks the identified area as a non-reflow block of contentand returns to continue identifying and processing additional non-reflowblocks of content.

Mathematical and scientific formulas are similar to program listings inthat they may be recognized through special symbols and/or keywords.More particularly, except for language specific syntax, statements in aprogram listing may be viewed as simply mathematical formulas. Forexample, FIG. 7A illustrates a digital image 700 of content includingseveral mathematical formulas, as found in boxes 602 and 604. As can beseen, formula 606 in box 602 includes several mathematical symbolsmentioned above in regard to program listings, including the following:“{ } ( ) + * − =.” Greek letters, such as “π” and “θ,” are often keys inidentifying mathematical and/or scientific formulas. Keywords alsodenote mathematical and/or scientific formulas, such as “mod,” “cos,”“sin,” “log,” etc.

In regard to recognizing a mathematical or scientific formula, accordingto one embodiment, once a symbol or keyword associated with amathematical or scientific formula is found or identified, thesurrounding region of that symbol/keyword is examined for other symbolsthat may be viewed as part of a mathematical formula. For example, FIG.7B illustrates the mathematical equation of formula 606. Assuming thattoken 701 (“=”) was recognized as a likely candidate for a mathematicalformula, surrounding regions are examined for other symbols thatpotentially may be part of the formula. In this, token 703 (“s”), whilenot necessarily a mathematical symbol by itself, may be part of amathematical formula, as in the present case, and the boundary thatdefines the mathematical formula 606 is expanded to include it as well.Similarly, token 705 (“{”) may be recognized as a potential mathematicalsymbol and is included in the mathematical formula's boundary, orrather, that the mathematical formula's boundary is expanded to includetoken 705. Scanning surrounding regions continues until some indicatoris found that signifies the end of the mathematical (or scientific)formula. These indicia may include, but are not limited to, the edge ofthe digital image 700, the boundary of a previously identifiednon-reflow block of content (such as a picture or caption), a thresholdamount of white space, and the like. Moreover, in addition to scanningto the left and right of an identified token or keyword, the contentabove and below should also be scanned for possible inclusion in themathematical formula's boundary. In this manner, both mathematicalformulas illustrated in box 702 could be grouped together in a singlenon-reflow block of content (as a mathematical formula) for subsequentcopying to the resultant digital content file.

According to further embodiments of the present invention, afterprocessing the surrounding region in an effort to be inclusive withregard to the identified mathematical formula, the non-reflow contentcomponent 304 may then examine the included content to determine whethercontent should not have been included in the non-reflow mathematicalformula. For example, and with regard again to FIG. 7A, assuming that inattempting to be inclusive the non-reflow content component 304initially included line 710 to the mathematical formula, a subsequentevaluation process may determine that the inclusion of line 710 wasoverly aggressive and remove it from the mathematical formula, i.e.,change the mathematical formula's boundaries to exclude line 710.

In addition to recognizable mathematical keywords and symbols,mathematical formulas often include a particular spatial arrangementthat sets them apart from the general body of reflow content. Moreparticularly, mathematical formulas frequently have multiple lines of“content” that are closely located to each other—even overlapping, anddo not follow the normal flow of content and spacing as regular reflowcontent. To illustrate, FIG. 7C is a pictorial diagram illustrating anexemplary mathematical formula 720 useful for illustrating spatialarrangement aspects of a mathematical formula 720. As shown in FIG. 7C,formula 720 includes various “lines” of textual content as illustratedby boxes 722-726. As can be seen, boxes 722 and 724 abut each other,while box 726 overlaps both boxes 722 and 724. Clearly, the content inthis mathematical formula 720 is arranged in a manner inconsistent withand distinguishes it from typical reflow content, as shown in FIG. 6.

With reference again to FIG. 5, at block 520, the non-reflow contentcomponent 304 scans the digital image 100 for sidebars. If a sidebar isfound, at block 506 the non-reflow content component 304 marks theidentified area as a non-reflow block and returns to continueidentifying and processing additional non-reflow blocks of content.

A sidebar is typified by textual content that is somewhat related to thesubject matter of the reflow content, like a parenthetical statement tothe regular content. However, simply including the sidebar's contentwithin the regular body of reflow content would corrupt the content.Sidebars, as text, are distinguishable from the reflow content throughvarious aspects. For example, sidebars are frequently embedded in abounding box, or lie outside of the normal, reflow content. FIG. 8 is apictorial diagram illustrating an exemplary digital image 800 includinga sidebar 802. As can be seen, sidebar 802 is defined by a bounding box.Additionally, there is substantial white space between the regular,reflow content and the sidebar. Quite frequently, sidebars include abackground color (not shown) and/or are presented in a differenttypeface or emphasis (such as bolded). While not shown in FIG. 8,sidebars, just as pictures, formulas, etc., may be associated with acaption.

With reference again to FIG. 5, at block 522, the non-reflow contentcomponent 304 scans the digital image 100 for graphs and/or charts. If agraph and/or chart is found, at block 506 the non-reflow contentcomponent 304 marks the identified area as a non-reflow block andreturns to continue identifying and processing additional non-reflowcontent.

FIG. 9 is a pictorial diagram illustrating an exemplary digital image900 including a chart 902. Graphs and/or charts typically include acombination of graphics and text, and are recognizable as such. However,the text within a graph or chart, such as chart 902, only really makessense in regard to the arrangement of the graph/chart. Thus, the spatialrelationship should be maintained.

Graphs and charts are typically set apart from the regular content withsubstantial white space. Graphs and charts are typically positioned suchthat the regular text can flow or wrap around the graph/chart. Likesidebars and pictures, graphs and charts are frequently encompassed witha bounding frame, although chart 902 does not have a frame. Graphs andcharts are also frequently associated with captions, such as caption904.

At block 524, the non-reflow content component 304 scans the digitalimage 100 for tables. If a table is found, at block 506 the non-reflowcontent component 304 marks the identified area as a non-reflow blockand returns.

As those skilled in the art will recognize, tables typically include abounding frame or border with generally uniform rows and columns ofcells. More particularly, while some cells may be joined to others tocreate larger cells in place of one or more single cells, the cells in atable will still conform to the general row/column structure of thetable. Cells frequently include textual content. However, the row andcolumn structure of a table provides context and meaning to theinformation in table cells such that freely reflowing cell content wouldcause it to lose meaning. Thus, the spatial arrangement of a tableshould be maintained.

With regard to FIG. 5, after processing the digital image 100 for thevarious types of non-reflow content, the exemplary routine 500terminates. It should be noted, however, that while the exemplaryroutine 500 illustrates a particular order in processing non-reflowblocks of content, this ordering is illustrative only and should not beconstrued as limiting upon the present invention. Moreover still, whilethe above described steps illustrated of routine 500 are separate andsequential, this is for illustration only. In an actual embodiment, anynumber of these steps may be implemented to run in parallel and or incombination with other steps.

With regard to identifying the bounds of a mathematical or scientificformula as described above, particularly being initially aggressive inincluding potential content and subsequently evaluating the content forover-inclusiveness, it should be appreciated that this practice may beapplied generally to all types of non-reflow blocks of content. To thatend, FIG. 10 is a flow diagram illustrating an exemplary routine 1000suitable for determining the bounds of a non-reflow block of content.

The routine 1000 is initiated by locating some content that isidentified as being part of a non-reflow block of content. Thus, atblock 1002, the adjacent regions surrounding the content identified asbeing part of a non-reflow block of content are examined. At decisionblock 1004, a determination is made as to whether any additionalpotential content (as in potential content for inclusion in thenon-reflow block of content) is located in the adjacent regions. Ifadditional potential content is found, at block 1006 the exemplaryroutine includes the additional potential content as part of thenon-reflow block of content. As indicated above, this is likely to bedone by expanding the borders of the non-reflow block of content toinclude the additional potential content from the surrounding region.Thereafter (and with the boundaries of the non-reflow block expanded),the routine 1000 returns again to block 1002.

Once no additional potential content is identified for inclusion in thenon-reflow block of content, the routine 1000 proceeds to block 1008. Atblock 1008, the non-reflow block of content is evaluated for contentwhose likelihood for inclusion as non-reflow content falls below apredetermined threshold. The likelihood determination is typically basedon heuristics adapted according to the particular type of non-reflowblock of content. At decision block 1010, a determination is made as towhether any unlikely content (falling below the predetermined threshold)has been mistakenly included in the non-reflow block of content. If so,the routine proceeds to block 1012 where the unlikely content is removedfrom within the bounds of the non-reflow block of content. Thereafter,the routine 1000 returns again to block 1008 for a re-evaluation asdescribed above. Once all content whose likelihood of inclusion fallsbelow a predetermined threshold has been eliminated, the routine 1000terminates.

Clearly, part of the problem with determining whether or not certaincontent is non-reflow content via automated procedure is that,sometimes, it is simply a close call, e.g., it is not always possible toheuristically determine, with a high degree of confidence, whether ornot some content is non-reflow content. Compounding this lack ofconfidence is the desire or need to convert a digital image 100 toreflow content with near 100% accuracy. Thus, according to aspects ofthe present invention, because not all non-reflow blocks are identifiedwith a high degree of confidence or certainty, the non-reflow contentidentification component 304 makes a heuristic determination as to itsconfidence in identifying a non-reflow block of content and stores thisconfidence rating with the non-reflow block in the digital content file.The heuristic determination of the confidence rating may be differentfor each type of non-reflow block of content (e.g., header, footer,sidebar, list, poetry, etc.) Storing the confidence rating associatedwith an identified non-reflow block enables further aspects of thepresent invention, namely a process by which digital image conversionsmay be efficiently processed in automated procedures, and correctedmanually when and where a confidence rating falls beneath apredetermined threshold.

FIG. 11 is a flow diagram illustrating an exemplary routine 1100 forprocessing a digital image using an automated process and triggeringmanual evaluation and editing when the confidence of the automatedconversion is below a predetermined threshold. Beginning at block 1102,a digital image 100 is obtained for automated processing into reflowcontent. At block 1104, the digital image 100 is processed into digitalcontent including reflow and non-reflow content. In accordance withaspects described above, the non-reflow content, or identifiednon-reflow blocks of content copied to the digital content, include, butare not limited to, information regarding the boundaries of the block,the location in the digital image where it was located, where in thereflow content it would fall, the type of non-reflow block, and aconfidence rating indicating the level of confidence the non-reflowcontent conversion component 304 assigned to the non-reflow block ofcontent.

At control block 1106, a looping process is begun to iterate througheach identified non-reflow block of content in the digital contentobtained in block 1104. More particularly, for each identifiednon-reflow block of content the following steps are executed. Atdecision block 1108, a determination is made as to whether theconfidence rating assigned to the current non-reflow block of contentfalls below a predetermined threshold. For example, a content providermay wish to evaluate all identified non-reflow blocks of content thatfall below a 75% confidence rating to ensure a high degree of accuracy.Other thresholds, both higher and lower, may be used according tocontent provider preferences.

According to one aspect of the present invention, a plurality ofpredetermined thresholds may be used, such that for each type ofnon-reflow block of content there is a corresponding predeterminedthreshold (which may be different than other predetermined thresholds).For example, a predetermined threshold for a header may be “90” (setrelatively high because headers will not be displayed in the resultantdocument), while a predetermined threshold corresponding to captions maybe “75.” In this manner, the overall conversion process can bespecifically tailored to a content provider's needs. Thus, while in someembodiments, a determination to whether the confidence rating assignedto the current non-reflow block of content falls below a defaultpredetermined threshold applicable to all types of non-reflow blocks ofcontent, in other embodiments, the determination is made with regard tonon-reflow type-specific predetermined thresholds.

If the confidence rating assigned to the current non-reflow block ofcontent falls below the predetermined threshold, the routine 1100proceeds to block 1110. At block 1110, the exemplary routine triggers amanual evaluation and editing process of the current non-reflow block ofcontent. The evaluation and editing process will typically present thedigital image 100, the identified non-reflow block of content and itstype, and will also include tools necessary for a person to make anycorrections with regard to the evaluated non-reflow block of content. Ofcourse, the triggered evaluation and editing process may occur at thetime that the low confidence rating was detected, or queued forasynchronous processing at a later time.

In regard to the manual evaluation and editing process, according to oneembodiment, the confidence rating is also presented to the personconducting the manual evaluation. This confidence rating may bepresented as a value, or alternatively as a color and/or intensity ofcolor. More generally, the confidence rating may be denoted through aparticular font, font size, color (e.g., hue, saturation, intensity),brightness, progression or motion, or other parameter. Symbols ornumbers may be also be shown to denote the confidence rating. In oneembodiment, the intensity of the color displayed to a person whenpresenting the non-reflow block for manual evaluation and editingdirectly relates to the difference between confidence rating and thepredetermined threshold. Moreover, the color used may be non-reflowtype-specific, e.g., red for headers or footers, blue for graphs,magenta for tables, etc. Alternatively, while under some circumstancesit is very beneficial to display the confidence rating with a non-reflowblock of content, the confidence rating may provide the basis forprejudicing the manual evaluation and editing process, where an unbiasedopinion is required. Accordingly, displaying the confidence rating, inwhatever form, should be viewed as optional and not mandatory.

In an alternative embodiment (not shown), the manual evaluation andediting process may be carried out through a service. More particularly,the non-reflow block of content, as well as other related informationsuch as, but not limited to, its type, the context (e.g., location,dimensions) from the digital image 100 from which it was taken, theconfidence rating, and the digital image, as well as description of whatis wanted, are posted to a location where service providers (in thesense of being able to perform the service requested) bid on or acceptoffers to perform the requested actions. In this instance, thenon-reflow block of content may be posted to this type of service tohave a service provider manually evaluate the content of the non-reflowblock to determine whether any content was erroneously included.Information from the manual evaluation is then returned to the process.

If the confidence rating assigned to the current non-reflow block ofcontent meets or exceeds the predetermined threshold, or aftertriggering a manual evaluation and editing process for the non-reflowblock of content, the routine 1100 proceeds to end control block 1112.At end control block 1112, the looping process begun at control block1106 causes a determination to be made as to whether there are anyadditional identified non-reflow blocks of content to be evaluated. Ifyes, then the routine 1100 proceeds to control block 1106 where thelooping process iterates to the next identified non-reflow blocks ofcontent to be evaluated, as described above. If no, the exemplaryroutine 1100 terminates.

Those skilled in the art will appreciate that manual edits/correctionsto non-reflow blocks could have a significant impact other processedcontent, both reflow and non-reflow blocks, i.e., some reflow contentmay have been erroneously included in a non-reflow block of content,Accordingly, while not shown in FIG. 11, after the manual evaluation andediting step is completed and edits were made to one or more non-reflowblocks of content, the digital image 100 is reprocessed, or in otherwords, the reflow-capable content is reprocessed into reflow contentexcluding the identified (and edited) non-reflow blocks of content.

While not shown in FIG. 11, in at least one embodiment of the presentinvention, a particular order may be applied in evaluating thenon-reflow blocks of content. More particularly, non-reflow blocks ofcontent falling below their corresponding predetermined threshold may beevaluated in a particular order. For example, non-reflow blocks ofcontent of a particular type, such as headers or footers, whoseconfidence rating falls below a corresponding predetermined threshold,may be processed prior to other non-reflow blocks of content, such astables or bulleted lists. Alternatively, non-reflow blocks of contentfalling below their corresponding predetermined threshold may beprocessed in an order corresponding to their confidence rating. Forexample, the highest confidence rated non-reflow blocks are processedfirst, followed by non-reflow blocks having a lesser confidence rating.

As those skilled in the art will appreciate, once a non-reflow block ismanually evaluated and edited, those edits may be similarly appliedthroughout the document when similar, or substantially similar,circumstances are detected. For example, as headers have the same orsimilar text that is repeated over numerous pages and assuming that aheader was manually evaluated and edited, any changes made to one headermay be applicable to other header non-reflow blocks. Of course,frequently headers are not entirely similar, such as when a page number,a chapter number, and the like is included. However, when the content ofthe non-reflow block is substantially similar, manual edits are quitelikely to be applicable. When this similarity or substantial similarityoccurs, according to one embodiment, the manual changes/edits to a firstnon-reflow block of content are automatically applied to other similarnon-reflow blocks of content throughout the digital content file.

In addition to processing the digital image 100, as described above,once a digital image 100 is processed into a digital content file, thedigital content file may be subjected to further processing, either bythe content provider or another party. Frequently, such additionalprocessing is likely directed to further preparing the digital contentfile for its intended use. For example, a digital content file may befurther processed using compression techniques to reduce the storagefootprint of the digital content file, or formatting to place thedigital content file into a format suitable for display in a viewerand/or offering for sale. Moreover, digital rights managementinformation may be added to control the use of the processed digitalcontent under license.

While illustrative embodiments have been illustrated and described, itwill be appreciated that various changes can be made therein withoutdeparting from the spirit and scope of the invention.

1. A computer system suitable for efficiently evaluating digital contentfor possible manual editing, the computer system comprising: aprocessor; and a memory, wherein the memory includes one or applicationmodules which, when executed, configure the system to: obtain a digitalcontent file, the digital content file comprising reflow contentprocessed from a digital image and non-reflow content copied from thedigital image; scan the digital content file for non-reflow content; andfor each non-reflow block of content found in the digital content file:determine whether the non-reflow block of content should be manuallyedited; and invoke one or more application modules to initiate a manualediting session if it is determined that the non-reflow block should bemanually edited.
 2. The computer system of claim 1, wherein the computersystem is further configured to: determine whether any non-reflow blockof content in the digital content file was manually edited; andautomatically apply the manual edits to other substantially similarnon-reflow blocks of content.
 3. A method for efficiently processing adigital image into reflow content, the method comprising each of thefollowing as executed by a computer: obtaining a digital image forprocessing, the digital image including at least some content suitablefor processing into reflow content; processing the digital image into adigital content file, the digital content file comprising both reflowcontent and non-reflow blocks of content; and for each non-reflow blockof content in the digital content file: determining whether thenon-reflow block of content should be manually evaluated for editing;and automatically triggering a manual evaluation for editing if it isdetermined that the non-reflow block of content should be manuallyevaluated for editing.
 4. The method of claim 3, wherein determiningwhether the non-reflow block of content should be manually evaluated forediting comprises evaluating the non-reflow block to determine whetherthe non-reflow block of content includes content that may have beenincorrectly included in the non-reflow block of content.
 5. The methodof claim 3, wherein determining whether the non-reflow block of contentshould be manually evaluated for editing comprises determining whether aconfidence rating associated with the non-reflow block of content fallsbelow a predetermined threshold thereby requiring a manual evaluation.6. The method of claim 5, wherein the predetermined threshold isdetermined according to the type of the non-reflow block of content. 7.The method of claim 6, wherein automatically triggering a manualevaluation for editing comprises displaying the non-reflow block ofcontent in the context of the digital image to a person for evaluationand editing.
 8. The method of claim 7, wherein evaluation and editingcomprises a visual inspection of the non-reflow block of content.
 9. Themethod of claim 7, wherein the non-reflow block of content is displayedto the person with the associated confidence rating.
 10. The method ofclaim 9, wherein the associated confidence rating is displayed as avalue.
 11. The method of claim 9, wherein the non-reflow block ofcontent is displayed to the person in a color associated with the typeof the non-reflow block of content.
 12. The method of claim 11, whereinthe associated confidence rating is displayed as a shade of the colorassociated with the type of the non-reflow block of content.
 13. Themethod of claim 5, wherein processing the digital image into areflowable file comprises: identifying non-reflow blocks of content inthe digital image; associating a confidence rating with each identifiednon-reflow block of content, the confidence rating being an indicator ofthe confidence that the identified non-reflow block of content includesonly non-reflow content; processing the content of the digital imageinto reflow content excluding content in the identified non-reflowblocks of content; and storing the reflow content and the identifiednon-reflow blocks of content, including the associated confidencerating, into the digital content file.
 14. The method of claim 3 furthercomprising: determining whether any of the non-reflow blocks of contentin the digital content file were manually edited; and reprocessing thedigital image into the digital content file.
 15. The method of claim 3further comprising: determining whether any of the non-reflow blocks ofcontent in the digital content file were manually edited; and applyingthe manual edits to other substantially similar non-reflows blocks inthe digital content file.
 16. The method of claim 3, wherein the manualevaluation for editing is immediately triggered if it is determined thatthe non-reflow block of content should be manually evaluated forediting.
 17. The method of claim 3, wherein the manual evaluation forediting is queued for subsequent processing if it is determined that thenon-reflow block of content should be manually evaluated for editing.18. A computer-implemented process for efficiently evaluating a digitalimage converted to digital content file, the process comprising:obtaining a digital content file converted from a digital image, thedigital content file comprising reflow content and non-reflow blocks ofcontent; scanning the digital content file for non-reflow blocks ofcontent; and for each non-reflow block of content encountered in thedigital content file: determining whether the encountered non-reflowblock of content should be manually evaluated for editing; andtriggering a manual evaluation if it is determined that the encounterednon-reflow block of content should be manually evaluated for editing.19. The computer-implemented process of claim 18, wherein determiningwhether the encountered non-reflow block of content should be manuallyevaluated for editing comprises evaluating the non-reflow block todetermine whether the non-reflow block of content includes content thatmight have been incorrectly included in the non-reflow block of content.20. The computer-implemented process of claim 19, wherein theencountered non-reflow block of content includes information of itslocation in the digital image, and wherein evaluating the non-reflowblock to determine whether the non-reflow block of content includescontent that might have been incorrectly included in the non-reflowblock of content comprises evaluating the encountered non-reflow blockof content in regard to any content adjacent to the encounterednon-reflow block of content in the digital image.
 21. Thecomputer-implemented process of claim 18, wherein determining whetherthe encountered non-reflow block of content should be manually evaluatedfor editing comprises evaluating the non-reflow block of contentaccording to a confidence rating associated with the non-reflow block ofcontent.
 22. The computer-implemented process of claim 21, evaluatingthe non-reflow block of content according to a confidence ratingassociated with the non-reflow block of content further comprisesevaluating the confidence rating to a predetermined threshold such thatif the confidence rating falls below the predetermined threshold amanual evaluation for editing is automatically triggered.
 23. Thecomputer-implemented process of claim 22, wherein the predeterminedthreshold is determined according to the type of the encounterednon-reflow block of content.
 24. The computer-implemented process ofclaim 23, wherein a manual evaluation for editing comprises displayingthe encountered non-reflow block of content its context in the digitalimage to a person for evaluation and editing.
 25. Thecomputer-implemented process of claim 24, wherein the encounterednon-reflow block of content is displayed to the person with theassociated confidence rating.
 26. The computer-implemented process ofclaim 25, wherein the associated confidence rating is displayed as avalue.
 27. The computer-implemented process of claim 24, wherein theencountered non-reflow block of content is displayed to the person in acolor associated with the type of the encountered non-reflow block ofcontent.
 28. The computer-implemented process of claim 27, wherein theassociated confidence rating is displayed as a shade of the colorassociated with the type of the encountered non-reflow block of content.29. The computer-implemented process of claim 18 further comprising:determining whether any of the encountered non-reflow blocks of contentin the digital content file were manually edited; and reprocessing thedigital image into the digital content file.
 30. Thecomputer-implemented process of claim 18 further comprising: determiningwhether any of the encountered non-reflow blocks of content in thedigital content file were manually edited; and applying the manual editsto other similar non-reflows blocks in the digital content file.